Hello lovely readers! Can you believe that it’s almost the end of July? (Insert crying emoji here, whether for mourning the near-end of summer or rejoicing the advent of the new school year, or maybe a little bit of both.) We’ve been beating the heat with late afternoon swims at the pool, daily ice cream sundaes and cones, water balloon fights (I didn’t remember them being so stubborn to pop!), and lots of movies. My mom and I went to see Barbie on opening day—what I expected was a fun romp through pretty pastel sets and stellar outfits. What I did not expect was a feminist manifesto and criticism of the patriarchy. I could listen to America Ferrera’s monologue, on being a woman, on repeat. Is Barbie appropriate to take your kids to? I think a lot of the themes are powerful but the nuances and all the other adult-type innuendos would be lost on my seven-year-old (and I’m not ready to explain some!), so it’s a no for me. I’ve got lots to share this week, including hitting a publishing journey milestone, a super cool guest podcast experience, and some incredible book recs. But first, on to this edition’s mini word essay!
ARTIST DATE: A solo, festive expedition to do something fun, something that enchants or interests you. (Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way)
Any kind of creative expression is an output, and we have to replenish ourselves. In Write for Life, Cameron writes, “Self-elected fun, an Artist Date refills your inner well. You have used images and ideas by writing. You replace images and ideas by Artist Dates.” She recommends one Artist Date weekly, but says that if your writing is becoming “difficult and thin,” then a second Artist Date is in order. One of Cameron’s favorite Artist Dates is visiting a pet store to pet an enormous bunny named George.
Cameron talks about Artist Dates in the context of being a writer; I would argue that, since we are all human, we are creative beings at our core and we could all benefit from more ways to refill our inner well. Especially since life, too, can feel difficult and thin. Anyone can take themselves on an Artist Date; I believe that it invites ease and fullness. And who among us doesn’t want to create more opportunities for fun and enchantment?
One of my favorite Artist Dates is taking myself to a museum. It feels like a luxury sometimes, being able to take a couple hours to be among other artists, appreciating their medium and witnessing how they interpret images and ideas. Often, it sparks something for me—like these photographs by Michelle Bressan, a Romanian-Italian photographer whose Reminder Series depicts aspects of the Romanian post-communist reality. The accompanying note at The Taubman Museum of Art describes his work as “intimate without being sentimental,” allowing the viewer to “empathize with the incidental specificity within the scenes.” It made me think of how, in writing, when we are depicting a scene and world-building, it’s the specificity—the details you might not notice at first—that really brings a world to life and renders a more nuanced portrait. Last time I was at the museum with my mom and daughter, we painted watercolor dragonflies together in the kids art room—perhaps I can add this to my next solo adventure, too.
Another favorite Artist Date is going to antique or thrift stores. I love wandering around Black Dog Salvage and pausing to take pictures of whatever catches my eye. I like to imagine stories—who sipped from these crystal cocktail coupes, where did this person sit to read this red leather bound book, where did all these keys come from and what do they unlock?
An Artist Date doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. The point, Cameron says, is to spend quality one-on-one time with your creative self doing something “festive and out of the ordinary.” Yes, the Artist Date takes time, but it repays you with energy, inspiration, and insight, with for me add up to a feeling of expansion and fullness. By committing to it once a week, you’re ensuring that you are consistently nourishing yourself by refilling your inner well.
Memoir Updates
I hit a big milestone last week—I got my first rejection from a literary agent! And it contained personalized feedback about my opening chapters, what she expected, and why it wasn’t something she could entice editors with (yet). And while the sting of rejection smarts, the fact that someone took the time to read my query letter and sample pages in such a thoughtful manner is huge (it helped that said agent requested materials after my James Beard Award nomination). And the agent was so nice about it that it took the sting out (a little bit). As did the fact that she said she enjoyed my writing and described it as “fresh and engaging.” I’m trusting that the swirling vortex of thoughts and competing ideas in my head validates my taking a bit of a pause on querying and revision. And I’m learning to trust that some of the discomfort about how to proceed is still part of the process and progress towards a breakthrough.
Published Articles & Media Appearances
Interested in seeing what I’ve written or spoken about lately? Here are couple highlights:
Rookie Restaurateur: Episode 4
I got to be a guest on chef Quincy Randolph’s new podcast, Rookie Restaurateur. Quincy is also the co-owner of RND Coffee in Roanoke and I’m lucky to call him a friend, too. I share more about my story and we discuss food writing, influencers, AI, restaurants, and favorite cereals. Give it a listen!
For the July/August issue of The Roanoker, I interviewed the Roanoke family behind a charming, family-friendly restaurant in Bent Mountain, whose creative tavern-inspired menu proves that “delicious” and “kid-friendly” are not mutually exclusive concepts. I’ve been hankering to take my family there for nachos and wood-fired pizzas on their outdoor patio, complete with games and lots of room for kiddos to run around.
Books, Bites & Beverages
Books: I am reading so many books at the moment that I’m amazed I can keep the story lines straight (I am, I think?). I just finished Jeanette Walls’ historical fiction novel Hang the Moon which was terrific, especially since it is set in rural Virginia during Prohibition and celebrates a strong female protagonist. Also loving the smart, funny, and engaging novel Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (I’m late to the party, but reveling in it nonetheless!) and On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen, in particular the chapter about gluttony which is helping to provide a contextual framework for some of the research I’m doing about women’s appetite and our relationship to food and pleasure.
Bites: For me, one of the simple pleasures of summer mornings is getting to eat a second breakfast on the porch. This plate of jammy eggs on buttered toast flanked by a jumble of perfectly ripe peach slices (from the Jamison’s Orchards just down the road!) really hit the spot. Texture, flavor, and color are all really important when I consider what I feel like eating, not only to sate my craving and fill me up, but make me feel nourished.
Beverages: This summer, I’ve been making lots of “smoothies for two,” which I usually like to share with my daughter Ava. But since we are trying to keep germs to ourselves these days, she found a suitable sipping partner replacement. Ava’s latest go-to combo is: milk, plain yogurt, and frozen fruit, including strawberries, bananas, and dragon fruit, the latter do which gives it that gorgeous pink hue.
Artist Dates are the BEST! Thanks for this subtle reminder that I need to schedule one. ❤️